The practical implementation of Safety Culture

The practical implementation of Safety Culture Rodolfo Touzet *1 1 Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Av. del Libertador 8250. Buenos Aires 1429, Argentina Abstract When, during the review of the Chernobyl accident, the INSAG Committee introduced the term Safety Culture, it spread very quickly. Later on, as a result of activities sponsored by the IAEA, the original Safety Culture concept was extended to include a large number of issues that are typical requirements of Quality Assurance Unfortunately, the way in which certain organizations approached this subject has not helped to find the right way for it to be implemented. Safety Culture is not mentioned at all in ICRP-60 and in the new recommendations of 2005 it does not even appear in the principal body and only a minor reference exists. The IAEA s Basic Safety Standards deal with the requirements for Safety Culture and for Quality Assurance as absolutely individual issues; however, Safety Culture should be considered as a part of the Quality System. Very recently the situation was strongly improved by the release of the new standard The Management System for Facilities and Activities Safety Requirements GS-R-3. The EURATOM 97/43 Directive, used in the European Community for the preparation of regulations for medical practice, which, while inspired by ICRP-73, does not even mention Safety Culture. Increasing personnel training is not enough if, at the same time, there are no activities aimed at improving their attitude towards quality and safety. To achieve a change in Culture in the organization or to implant the new concept, there must be a suitable supporting Methodology to allow it to be put into practice... If not, the Safety Culture will only be a simple expression of wishes without any chance of success... Criteria, methodology and effective practical tools must be available. Two basic principles for the management system (GSR-3) a) All the tasks may be considered as a system of interactive processes b) All persons must take part in order to achieve safety and quality. These two principles are the basis of the strategy for the development of a Safety Culture Effective staff participation must be encouraged in order to improve their knowledge and to develop a sense of belonging which will favour the integration of the different levels and create an atmosphere of trust and mutual support. All this favours Safety Culture... KEYWORDS: Safety Culture; quality system; Standards. Introduction: In spite of the long time passed from the accident of Chenobyl, and of the enormous diffusion that has given to the concept, the reality indicates that it is very small what has been advanced in the implementation of the Safety Culture. Probably the main problem is that neither the ICRP, nor the Regulative Authorities, have found the suitable way of convincing the persons in order that they sit and act in a responsible form. The INSAG-3 established very clearly that the Culture of the Security refers to " the attitudes of the individuals " and the attitudes of the individuals cannot be obtained across a regulation but rather across the motivation * Presenting author, E-mail: rtouzet@cnea.gov.ar

The motivation is the vital fluid of the organizations. A motivated person is a carrier of a dose of energy that can be fed and stimulated towards the safety, but: which are the secrets to achieve the real commitment of the people with the organization? To develop the motivation and the responsibility, it is necessary to work by the two basic principles: the participation and the confidence. The attitudes of the individuals are intangible but they can develop and can be stimulated if the organization knows how to motivate the persons. Necessary concepts to understand the problem of the Safety Culture: 1. Attitude and behavior of persons 2. Perception of risk 3. Relation between Safety Culture and quality systems 4. Safety and the Safety Culture 5. Difficulties of the authorities to regulate Safety Culture 6. Strategies to implement Safety Culture 1. Attitude, behavior and conduct of persons: The existence of a Quality Program alone does not guarantee the prevention of accidents, and even compliance of procedures and good practices are not enough if they are carried out in a mechanical way without conviction..! Mistakes made by persons do not occur only due to lack of knowledge... Individuals can be wrong because they are distracted, because they have a conflict with the supervisor, because they are not motivated or simply because they do not feel like working well. This situation is valid in a Nuclear Power Plant as well as a Medical Service. A person s attitude and their motivation are influenced by the physical and social conditions in which they carry out their work and can be modified by the work environment, especially by the attitude of the management. Even with the best will to carry out a task, people can be conditioned by emotional and psychological factors, which affect their capacity to prevent or detect defects. The conduct of the people depends on the reason but also on the symbols. Serge Prêtre says Man is a amphibian who lives in two worlds at the same time: the arid world of facts and the sea of symbols. Really, the facts should predominate the symbols but often the contrary happens. SOCIAL-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS SOCIAL-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS Productive organizations are made up of two elements of very different natures, which cannot be treated in the same way: The elements we can call technological like equipment, buildings, documents, materials and the tools used for production, and The persons who integrate the organization that we can call the human or social element. Therefore, the most suitable name would be Social-Technical System where faults and errors can originate in both components which should be controlled jointly. Human error causes nearly 50% of accidents, which occur in Nuclear Installations. Due to lack of Safety Culture Due to not recognizing the risks At the beginning, Quality Systems were only oriented to the technical aspects of the organization: the equipment, documents, training and coaching. Training and coaching are essential in any personnel training. But, is it enough? What happens if the persons are not interested or do not want to do it or if they believe they have reasons for not doing what they are told?

Safety cannot be guaranteed in an installation, which counts only on the quality of the equipment and basic technical knowledge of the persons; it is also necessary to be concerned with the quality of the social group of persons present as well as the interaction between them. The origin of the concept Safety Culture can be explained through this type of analysis and is the logical consequence of the gaps in the care of the above-mentioned social aspects. What should we do? People cannot be forced to bear a certain attitude but work environment conditions can be created so that attitude can be developed. Management has many tools, which can act on the working environment, so creating more suitable working conditions. The recommendations for personnel involvement (point 6.2) of Standard ISO-9004: 2000 are a good guide. 2. The Perception of Risk How important is the Perception of Risk in the Safety Culture? A person s attitude is related to the perception of the risk to which they are exposed. The perception of risk is not the same in every person; therefore the attitude towards prevention may be very different: There could be a different perception of the probability of an occurrence according to the trust there is in the hypothesis of work. There could be a different perception of the consequences of an occurrence on our health. There could be a different perception of the influence of our actions on safety. There could be a different perception of the efficiency of the procedures. It is not enough to know a risk exists, we have to know its real magnitude, how it is related to our tasks and how effective the preventive measures are as well as the applicable procedures. If we are not completely aware of how our acts can affect safety, we will not be able to take measures to prevent accidents. The attitude and conduct while complying with a certain prevention procedure depends on this. Influence of the Culture of Organization The perception of the work environment in which a person works is also important because the culture of the organization has an effect on the culture of the individual. If everyone has a responsible and preventive attitude it is possible that this attitude will be transmitted to the individual rationally or unconsciously. In some way the individual attitude depends on the collective cultural of the organization that creates the rules, conduct and customs, which are gradually acquired through niceness or spirit. If a person observes that his co-workers are working without taking care and without paying attention to the established rules, his perception of risk will be lessened whereas if his co-workers are careful with their work, his perception of risk could increase. Influence of labor conflicts on a person s attitude Labor conflicts in an organization can generate attitudes and conduct which oppose safety so expressing discontent when faced with an undesirable situation or one, which is considered unfair. The sociologist José Luis Espluga Trenc says: If a person thinks that for example there is unfairness in the rules of the organization or that the responsible persons are incompetent, they are unlikely to follow the procedures strictly either because they consider them unfair or because they do not trust their real effectiveness Special difficulties and problems: Routine work which does not stimulate observation

Outside contracts and the use of temporary staff High turnover of staff Very low salaries Management limitations in the public administration 4 levels of knowledge, which mean a different attitude when facing a risk The knowledge of the existence of a risk. Quantitative and real knowledge of the risk. Knowing how the task being carried out has an influence on the control and prevention of risks. The acceptance and recognition of the importance of complying with the established rules to prevent risks. What should we do? Experience is not transmitted.. Only the effective participation of persons in the analysis of the processes and the design of the procedures for the prevention of mistakes can bring about real awareness of the risks that should be prevented... The use of an analytical approach for the analysis of the processes is of utmost importance towards facilitating the achievement of aims and success during implementation. The person responsible for safety should evaluate the level of knowledge and attitude of personnel when facing a risk and act accordingly when using training, coaching and motivation tools as well as when involving personnel according to the actual situation. Personnel participation is important as far as possible while working out prevention procedures. Awareness of what the dangers are and how to prevent them is the best way of perceiving risks correctly. 3. Relation between Culture Safety and Quality Systems How are Safety Culture and Quality Systems related? Are they independent or part of the same system? Is it best to treat them separately or together? They are part of the same system... The characteristics of Safety Culture encourage both people and the organization to improve their effectiveness and efficiency so improving performance leading to the achievement of aims which in our case is safety. Characteristics such as having a sense of responsibility or acting prudently improve the efficiency of the organization and reduce the probability of mistakes and accidents. Seen from this particular angle, Safety Culture represents a valuable tool in achieving effective and efficient quality systems, which are of utmost importance in all those installations and circumstances where safety is a priceless requirement. After the Chernobyl accident the INSAG said: The mere existence of a Quality Assurance Program is not enough if the procedures are complied with mechanically and without conviction... However, stating that a Quality Assurance Program is not enough does not mean that it is not necessary...! Safety Culture cannot develop without the pre-existence of a Quality System. What should we do? It is necessary to work on the development of the quality systems and safety culture simultaneously acting precisely on each one. Safety culture cannot be developed without a pre-existing quality system. 4. Safety and Safety Culture Why has it taken so long for safety culture to be introduced in all installations...?!!

The Chernobyl accident happened 20 years ago and most regulating authorities have not yet taken effective measures for its implementation...! After the original definition of Safety Culture, the initial concept was broadened until it included a large quantity of aspects, which are related to Safety: Training and Coaching programs Compliance with the established procedures Definition of responsibilities in the Organization Establishment of clear lines of authority Periodic revision of documents Use of APS results in technical decisions Publishing evaluation results Use of operative experience in re-training Use of videos, mock ups in training Use of performance indicators in planning Spread information about incidents (OSEF) Safety culture is a necessary and indispensable element towards achieving safety but it is not safety itself. The incorrect use of the term safety culture instead of safety can frequently cause confusion resulting in the failure of the actions carried out. What should we do? The actions to be carried out should be clearly identified in order to develop a safety culture, which is consistent in motivation, awareness and personnel responsibility as a pose to the other actions carried out towards achieving safety. 5. Difficulty of the Regulating Authorities to regulate Safety Culture. Safety Culture is an enormous challenge for the Regulating Bodies who, in spite of their conviction of its importance, have not found the suitable mechanisms to impose its application... There is no point in issuing a Regulating Requirement whose compliance is not going to be able to be verified through a conventional evaluation neither will it be possible to obtain objective evidence which shows its compliance as in the case of an Audit. Practical difficulties in its Implementation and Evaluation The Culture of an Organization is defined as the collection of ideas, habits, thoughts, beliefs and all those unwritten rules, which are shared and used to make decisions. Safety Culture was defined by the INSAG as a collection of intangible elements of subjective character, which will result in tangible manifestations and results anyway. Acting on the culture of an organization implies an ethical responsibility above all; it is a complex task, which requires a range of non-conventional skills. Evaluation of SC is not feasible through a Regulatory audit or inspection. As a result of this situation the Reference Documents do not include specific requirements and in some of them Safety Culture is not even mentioned. ICRP-60 EURATOM 97/43 Dir. IAEA s BSS ICRP-60 EURATOM 97/43 Dir. IAEA s BSS Safety Culture is not mentioned in the ICRP-60 and it is very hard to find clear references to Quality Systems although there are some expressions, which can be interpreted as references to the subject. In the chapter which refers to the implementation of the recommendations, there is one rather explicit mention (p.247) when it says an attitude based on safety must be encouraged between all the persons involved in operations, and goes on to say which can be achieved through training and recognizing that safety is a responsibility for each one and a subject which involves the highest level of management. In the section on responsibilities (p.233) it states that

procedures, instructions and other administrative requirements are not enough to achieve a good level of radioprotection, and that everyone must consider safety as an every day function to be complied with. The ICRP-73 (on medical uses of radiation) refers very explicitly to Safety Culture (p.123) when it says: Procedures and instructions are very important but are not enough to achieve an adequate standard of safety if implanting attitudes known as Safety Culture in personnel, fails. It also states that this is very important and must be kept up continually through precise actions carried out by the Management. The IAEA Basic Safety Standards (BSS-115) develops three separate groups of requirements in the chapter referring to practices: Safety Culture Quality Guarantee Human Factors Even though requirements for improving or encouraging personnel participation and involvement are not included, it does establish a group of precise requirements for training and coaching in different technological areas.?! The INSAG-4 clearly states: procedures and good practices are not enough if they are applied in a mechanical way, without conviction...! To increase personnel training is not enough if activities to improve their attitude towards quality and safety are not carried out. As a result of the situation there is a certain feeling of discouragement in companies and adequate strategies do not appear. What should be done? The regulating authorities should request controlled management policies of recognized effectiveness from installations in order to encourage personnel participation and their motivation towards safety. The standard recommendations ISO-9000: 2000 (Point 6.2) contain tools and strategies adequate for this target. 6 - Strategies for the implementation of Safety Culture To achieve a change in Culture in the organization or to implant a new concept of these characteristics, there must be a suitable supporting methodology to allow it to be put into practice... If not, the Safety Culture will only be a simple expression of wishes or a nice humanistic message full of good intentions but without any chance of success. Criteria, methodology and effective, practical tools must be available. According to the description of Safety Culture in the INSAG-4 it is composed of a group of characteristics, which can be easily divided in two sub-groups: The characteristics covered by the traditional criteria of a Quality Implementation System The specific characteristics of Safety Culture which refers to the attitude and behavior of persons (also called intangible characteristics ) First sub-group (QA requirements) First sub-group (QA requirements) To consider the characteristics belonging to a Quality System, an analytical and participative approach must be used. Standards ISO-9001 (4.1) or GS-R-3 (5.4) and APS methods. The implementation of a Quality Management System does not present major problems, as it is a practice for which the Regulating Authorities have already established norms and requirements.

It must be emphasized that the design of the Quality System and particularly of the procedures should be carried out using an analytical approach and with the participation of all personnel. SECOND sub-group (Specific safety culture requirements) In order to consider the characteristics of Safety Culture which are specific and characteristic the involvement and development of personnel must be encouraged and stimulated in order to achieve a positive attitude towards safety and facilitate teamwork. Models, which can be used by management, are the ISO-9004 standard Recommendations, version 2000, particularly the recommendations in Point 6.2.1 referring to personnel training and involvement. ISO 9004:2000 Recommendations Training plans include both technical skills and personnel motivation. Training must emphasize the importance of the compliance of the requirements, the awareness of the effect on the organization and on the consequences of failing to comply with the requirements on the personnel. The organization must be sure that its personnel is aware of the relevance and importance of their activities and how they contribute towards the achievement of the aims of quality. ISO 9004:2000 Point 6.2.1 Recommendations on Personnel Involvement Provide continual training Facilitate 2 way open communication Check needs of persons continually Use rewards and ways of recognition Communicate suggestions and opinions Measure satisfaction Ensure effective teamwork Create conditions to encourage innovation Define responsibilities and authorities clearly How to encourage personnel participation and motivation Some elements, which contribute to encouraging personnel participation and involvement (Kaoru Ishikawa) Possibility of promotion in the organization Providing stimuli and recognition for tasks Being informed of what is happening and what is written Clear knowledge of responsibilities Being qualified for assigned tasks Working in atmosphere of trust Being able to take part in formulation of objectives Importance of the personnel participation in the design of Quality System Importance of the personnel participation in the design of Quality System The participation of personnel, at all levels, is fundamental for the success of the quality program. The analysis process is good training and encourages thought on the problem of safety. The weaknesses of the processes and their impact on safety become evident.

A sense of ownership is acquired which motivates initiative in order to improve quality and the safety of processes. Discussing processes encourages teamwork The importance of details in procedures, the need for registers or the particular importance of training is understood.